Re: UU ministers arrested

[Steven Jamar]

Not exactly - it is a misdemeanor charge - I assume it is something 
like a law that makes it a misdemeanor to perform marriage without a 
license - there are lots of such minor crimes around.  Though here the 
crime would be a licensed person performing an illegal marriage - like 
between 12 years olds.  Many statutes granting licenses to various 
professionals include as a matter of course, it seems, criminal 
sanctions for violating the terms of the license.

The specific crime is not reported in the Washington Post article - but 
it is not a license revocation proceding.  It is a criminal action 
punishable by up to year in jail.

Steve

On Tuesday, March 16, 2004, at 12:20  PM, Gene Summerlin wrote:

Steve,

Do you know what the criminal charge is?  I could certainly envision 
the
state refusing to recognize the marriages performed by the ministers 
or,
perhaps, the state revoking the ministers licensure, but what is the
criminal law which they have broken?
--
Prof. Steven D. Jamar                                     vox:  
202-806-8017
Howard University School of Law                           fax:  
202-806-8428
2900 Van Ness Street NW	                        
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Washington, DC  20008           
http://www.law.howard.edu/faculty/pages/jamar

"Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided 
missiles and misguided man."

- Martin Luther King Jr., "Strength to Love", 1963    

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